The Chūnin Exams: Phase 2: The City of Death
<-Chūnin Exams Main ='The City of Death'= "The towers of Amegakure pierce the heavens, marring her beautiful face. She weeps, and her tears pelt the rooftops and streets beneath. It is said that the rains of Ame never cease, and that the weather of the city never changes. This is only half true... it never stops raining, yes. But the skies in the city of rain are of myriad feeling. Sorrow, resolution, desperation, joy, rage, and even regret... the rain expresses these feelings and more. ''What does it regret? Who knows... Amegakure is an ancient city with a storied past... but too few are still alive to tell it. The rain has seen the rise and fall of men who would seek to conquer it- to become unmatched under heaven. Time and time again, the city has surpassed them as they are swallowed up by the curse of rain and washed away in the flood of ambition. Amegakure's bright neon lights and noisy nightlife, its drinking and mirthful celebrations, these serve to shut out the night. To push back the desperation and fear gripping the heart of this city. A fear as ancient as the city itself, and equally mysterious. Do you have the courage to pierce that veil, to peer into the face of this darkness? Would you know the curse of Amegakure, and the fate of all who dwell therein? Have courage, young genin. Truth is more horrifying than any fiction." - A Nameless Vagabond 'Introduction to Death' Standing at the front of a large iron gate stood a man whose status and power was well renowned throughout Amegakure, the Captain Commander of all forces, Shichirou Chiyo. He peered over the assembled genin teams, each hailing from a different country, all possessing a variety of skillsets. Shichirou couldn't help grinning as he prepared to march them to a challenge harder than anything they have ever, or will ever do. Clearing his throat, commander Chiyo's voice boomed across the assembly. "Welcome to Amegakure, and congratulations on passing the first phase of the exams. As a reward for passing the first phase, I assume that each and every one of you enjoyed the sights and the fine food that our village has to offer, and hopefully you all managed to purchase an umbrella to accommodate for the rain", he said, chuckling a bit after his statement... his joke was met only by an awkwardly nervous silence. "But, now, the second phase will begin and surprises are in store!" • "The Second Phase, unlike the first phase, will be run a bit differently. Here, you guys will be placed in a battlefield, where you will have to survive and battle other teams to achieve your goal. Assuming you survive and defeat the other team, you must make your way to the central tower in the middle of the battlefield, fighting your way through the dangerous battlegrounds that you will soon see for yourself. Now, the goal you ask? Simple, the goal is to take an enemy's scroll. You all will be given one scroll, either a heaven or earth, and you must retrieve another one through any means necessary, typically being taking it from another team. However, this will not be easy, but I'll let you find this out for yourself. So, with this conclusion, I wish you all luck in the second phase, and let the odds ever be in your favor." With a flourish, Shichirou waves the nine teams forward through the gate. The gate opens into a stone hall that seems to descend into the earth itself at a forty-five degree angle. At the bottom of this ramp, is an intersection with nine halls leading in separate directions. The genin teams are directed down one hall each towards a waiting room for further instruction. The waiting rooms are pretty unusual. For one, the interior of the room appears to be lined with steel, and the rooms are perfectly round. In each room, three chairs are bolted into the wall equidistant from each-other, and each chair also has a variety of straps and belts. For the most part, the genin cooperate and allow themselves to be secured. Sasayoki stubbornly refuses, and the proctor gives up and leaves her chamber. A moment later, the door seals shut, and a calm, feminine voice begins counting down from ten on an intercom. 3... 2... 1... 0..*BOOM* With a sudden blast of acceleration, countless steel spheres are launched from six cannons. Tumbling end over end in complete darkness, a few genin lose their lunches. Instants later, the spheres begin to crash and tumble through rock and rubble in a jolting and inconsistent fashion, before eventually reaching a complete stop. With a hiss and pop, the doors to the nine insertion pods explode outward, letting in a fresh flow of dank, moist air. A voice speaks out across the intercom, "Welcome to the City of Death and the Second Phase. Please watch your step as you vacate the waiting room." Note: Team Karasu, Team Chinka, and Team Ame possess scrolls of Heaven. Team Yaki, Team Ketsueki, and Team Taki possess scrolls of Earth. *Encounter 1: Team Karasu vs. Team Chinka *Encounter 2: Team Ame vs. Team Yaki *Encounter 3: Team Ketsueki vs. Team Taki